Archive for September, 2010

Weddings are expensive. There are no two ways about it, unless you plan to elope to the office of the Justice of the Peace.  With hundreds of guests, the cost of food and drink,party favors, and decorations will quickly start to add up.  At the end of it all, there is one happy couple and multiple depleted bank accounts.  However, most people have printers in their homes, and this article will provide some tips on how to use that machine to save some money while planning a wedding.

Invitations:

Most local office supplies stores where you would find replacement ink and toner cartridges will sell kits of invitations and envelopes as well as note cards for RSVP in a range of different designs and prices.  Instead of having these printed for you by an overpriced printing company, take the blank invitations and envelopes home to your printer.  There are many templates that can be downloaded for free and various font options that will make your invitations look professional and elegant. Continue reading “Reduce Wedding Costs with Your Printer” »

There are many different problems that crop up from time to time when printing, but one of the most frustrating is when a printer starts printing gibberish instead of the document or image you sent to be printed. Gibberish printing often looks like a random combination of letters, number, symbols, and other characters, which bear little or no resemblance to what you intended to print.

An example of printed gibberish.

Continue reading “Printing in Gibberish” »

It is obvious that recycling is a good thing, yet so many people don’t do it.  The extra effort is minimal considering the countless advantages.  The environment is not the only thing that will benefit from recycling, and perhaps that is what so many Americans have failed to realize.  Is Global Warming something to be concerned about?  Sure.  But if it is not affecting our present lives, many people are uninterested. Perhaps the solution is to understand the importance of recycling ink cartridges in a way that seems relevant to each individual. Continue reading “Ink Cartridge Recycling” »

Is mobile printing a hobby or a requirement?  Answering this question is the first step in figuring out the right direction to take.  If you enjoy taking pictures with your phone or handheld device and would love to have the ability to print an image occasionally, you might be better off loading software onto your device that will allow you to connect to a printer.  However, if you have to print from your mobile device on a daily basis for work, it would make more sense to purchase a portable printer rather than having to search for a printer to connect with.

In general, there are three major components required for mobile printing: a mobile device, a connection, and a printer.  Most of the time, the connection is wireless, often through Bluetooth and even occasionally via infrared on older models.  Some photo printers offer a direct USB connection as well. The method you choose for printing from your handheld device should be contingent upon your needs and the capabilities of your devices.

Print from Smartphones and PDAs

These handheld devices are considerably smaller than laptops and other computers that have built-in printing capabilities in the operating system, thus containing less memory.  Because of this, documents may need to be condensed in order to print properly.  This is where printing applications come in handy.  These applications will automatically search for available printers, condense your document as to not overwhelm the memory of the handheld device, and then print.  The document may not be as crisp and clear as when printing from a PC, but it should be sufficient enough for the average user. Continue reading “Portable Printing Options” »

Solid ink technology is still relatively new to the printing industry, but is growing in popularity because these printers allow you to reduce waste and produce flawless color on standard paper.  Xerox is currently the only manufacturer that produces this type of device, and they are not cheap.  In the interest of getting the most life out of your solid ink printer, here are some maintenance tips.

Allow for Warm-Up Time

The Xerox solid ink used by these printers is melted to a liquid form to be applied to the page.  This process may require an elongated warm-up time, especially when the machine has been sitting idle for a while.  Your manual should have an estimated warm-up time for your device and the LED indicators or the control panel will tell you when the printer is ready. Continue reading “Maintaining a Solid Ink Printer” »

Inkjet refill kits are sold at a number of locations online and in stores, but you should think twice before buying a refill kit just to save a few pennies.   Before remanufactured and compatible ink cartridges were available, refilling your own cartridges was the only alternative to purchasing OEM products.  But as inkjet technology has matured,  third party manufacturers have started offering more affordable compatible and remanufactured cartridge alternatives.  As a result, using refill kits has become a less desirable choice. Continue reading “Pitfalls of Inkjet Refill Kits” »

Okidata is one of the most renowned producers of office printers and multifunction devices.  Oki machines are reliable workhorses, but nothing comes without some issues.  The more current models will have an LCD screen that displays detailed error messages, such as “File transfer failure” or “paper jam”.  But before technology advanced to this point, numeric codes were used to indicate the error. Continue reading “Common Okidata Printer Error Codes” »

Image: Wikipedia.org

Two of the terms you may see often when shopping for a printer are “multifunction” printers (MFP) and “all-in-one” (AIO) devices. The terms are similar, and refer to printers that include additional features such as scanning, faxing, and copying. The main difference between the two is that the term “multifunction” is most often used for laser printers that use toner cartridges, and “all-in-one” is most often used for inkjet models that use ink cartridges. The main advantage of these devices is having multiple functions in one unit, keeping maintenance costs down and consolidating operations in one place. Continue reading “Choosing MFP and AIO Printers” »

Do you know exactly what you are looking for in a printer but cannot decide which brand to purchase?  With so many manufacturers constructing various types of printers that have similar qualities, it can be a difficult decision.  Should you get the least expensive option?  Should you get the one with the most recognizable brand name? Continue reading “Who Makes the Best Printers?” »